There's Always a Story
by MustBeAWriter
Summary: A collection of drabbles from prompts I've received on tumblr. Will be marked as complete, but I'll add ficlets as I write them.
1. Prompt 1

_*So, kind of a little intro...I have a collection of ficlets on tumblr that were written to fill specific prompts. I decided I should share them here as well, so that they can be enjoyed by a wider audience. So, without further ado, here we go!_

**Prompt 1: What happened the night of ****_Always_****, before ****_After The Storm_**

(Castle)

"I almost died, and all I could think about was you. I just want you."

He hears Kate's words, comprehends them even. But he's too preoccupied for all of them to fully register.

_"I almost died."_

It doesn't hit him until hours later, after they've thoroughly exhausted each other and she's drifting off to sleep in his bed. He hasn't stopped touching her yet. He can't help it; she's just so soft and warm and _here_. He's still not entirely sure this isn't a dream, and he's scared that if he stops touching her, if he breaks that connection, she'll disappear.

Almost unconsciously, his grip tightens on her side, just below her rib cage. Kate tenses, and the little whimper that she tries to muffle in her pillow sends his heart straight into his stomach. He withdraws his hand immediately, whispering apologies in her ear.

"It's okay, Castle," she murmurs. "I'm okay. Just a little sore."

_"I almost died."_

The need to be touching her is overwhelming, so he gently settles his arm across her waist. "Kate," he starts, speaking past the lump in his throat, "when you said that you almost...died, exactly how close were you to..."

She sighs, and he thinks she isn't going to answer until she turns over on her other side to face him. Her hand comes to rest on his cheek and she holds his gaze when she answers, "Too close."

She tells him about tracking Maddox's hotel room down through his rental car, about chasing him onto the roof, about the fight that left her dangling off the side of the building, certain that she was going to fall to her death.

"How..." He swallows and starts again. "How'd you get back up?"

"Ryan," she says, smiling sadly. "He pulled me up." She pauses. "I thought he was you," she admits, a tear escaping. "And when he wasn't..."

"Kate." He pulls her into a hug, kisses the crown of her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"It's okay," she whispers again. She pulls back just enough so that she can kiss him. "You're here now."


	2. Prompt 2

**Prompt 2: Castle and Beckett go shopping for Kevin and Jenny's baby.**

(Kate)

Kate was humming softly, sifting through a selection of onesies featuring dinosaurs, trucks, and wild animals. Jenny had excitedly let it slip to Kate that they were having a boy, but had made her promise not to tell Ryan. She wanted to surprise him with the news at the baby shower.

"Kate! C'mere, you have to see this!" Castle's excited voice sounded from a few aisles over. She scanned her options once more, and picked out a few outfits before heading off to join him.

She found him down an aisle marked "Seasonal/Specialty". She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. _Of course_.

"So Castle," she said, leaning against one of the shelves. "What was it that I _needed _to see?"

He held up his find with a triumphant smile. "Awesome, right?"

"Castle, no," Kate protested. "There's no way in hell we're getting them that."

His face fell immediately. "Why not?" he asked, pouting.

She sighed. "Because, Castle, we're just not."

He unleashed his puppy eyes on her, full force. "But it's so cute," he argued. "And it's really soft. Feel it."

Kate reluctantly took the romper from him, rubbing her thumb over the fleecy fabric. _He was right, damn him._ "But still, 'Kiss me, I'm Irish'? Don't you think it's a little cliche?"

Castle shrugged. "Well, yeah, if I were buying it for Ryan," he said. "But this is for Baby Ryan, so anything cliche automatically becomes cute."

She glanced between Castle and the romper a few times before handing it back to him with a sigh. "Alright, we can get it."

"Really?" he asked, a beaming grin spreading across his face.

Kate laughed. "Yes really, o' man child of mine." She glanced at her watch, then pushed off from the shelves. "C'mon," she said, hooking her pinky through his. "We're supposed to be meeting Alexis and Pi for lunch in half an hour."

His thousand-watt grin dimmed a little. "Right. Pi," he muttered.

They were almost to the end of the aisle when something caught Kate's eye. "Oh, Castle, look at this," she whispered.

She held up a navy blue romper with the words "Daddy's Favorite Ride-Along" across the front. NYPD was stenciled on the back, and the bottoms of the feet had badges on them.

"That is the most adorable thing I have ever seen," he said. "Is there a 'Mommy' one too?" he asked, leaning over to check the shelf.

Kate stepped in between him and the shelf. "Seriously, Castle?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

He just grinned and reached around her to pluck one off the shelf. "Ha, found it," he said, holding it up to show her. "This one's even cuter, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Kate took it from him, gazing at it wistfully for a few moments before putting it back on the shelf. Before she could change her mind, she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.

She looked up at Castle, who was staring at her with a mixture of adoration and confusion. She grinned shyly. "Future reference, Castle."


	3. Prompt 3

**Prompt 3: What if Castle hadn't made Beckett hide in ****_After The Storm_****?**

(Kate)

"Richard, I'm home!"

Before Kate can even react to Martha's presence, Castle's flailing around and flipping them rather ungracefully off the side of the bed. "Sorry, sorry," he mutters, helping her to her feet.

"I thought you said she was in the Hamptons," she says, trying to button her shirt with trembling fingers. She realizes she's still holding his pillow and drops it.

"She is. She was. I mean, she's supposed to be." He sounds a little desperate, but that might be because he's got his bedsheet wrapped around him like a toga.

"Darling, we need to talk!" Martha's voice is getting closer and at this point they're both just focused on not being _naked_ when she inevitably barges in.

She's got her shirt buttoned and they're conducting a search for his boxers when the door opens and Martha sails in. They both stand hastily, almost knocking heads in the process. She inexplicably has his pillow again, and Castle? Castle's holding her bra. _Seriously?_

Martha stops in her tracks when she sees Kate. "Oh, Katherine, what a surprise," she says in a tone that indicates that the sun being out during the day would be more of a surprise. "I see the two of you have gotten over whatever it was that you needed to get over."

She directs this statement at Castle, who finally seems to realize he's holding Kate's bra like a trophy. He drops it, _thank God_, and nods, smiling sheepishly.

"Well good," she says. "I, for one, was getting tired of watching him mope around," she tells Kate. "And, I must say, you're handling this quite well. Of course, it probably helps that Richard didn't try to hide you in his closet." She winks and Castle looks like he wants to disappear through the floor.

Kate turns to him, eyebrow raised in amusement. "You've actually _hidden_ girls in your closet?"

"That was one time," he says, his face beat red. "One. Time." He turns to his mother. "Now, Mother, not that I'm not enjoying this extraordinarily embarrassing conversation, but why are you _here_ and not in the Hamptons?"

Martha hesitates. "Ah, well, you see..."

"Gram?" Alexis' voice sounds from Castle's study, and now Kate's the one wishing the floor would open up and swallow her.

Castle looks at Martha frantically and she starts to explain. "The party _apparently _got a little out of hand and Alexis called to ask if I could bring her home."

"Why didn't she call me?" Castle asks, sounding a little hurt.

"I tried," Alexis says from the doorway. She's leaning against the door frame, eyes closed, looking thoroughly hungover. "You didn't pick up."

"Oh, Pumpkin, I'm sorry," he says. Her eyes are still closed and she doesn't seem to have noticed Kate yet. "I...had my phone turned off all night." He studies her for a moment. "Alexis, are you hungover?"

Kate rolls her eyes and elbows him in the ribs. He lets out a high-pitched yelp and stumbles towards the bed, banging his knee on the frame in the process. The commotion prompts Alexis to open her eyes, and she finally notices Kate, who's trying her hardest not to laugh.

"Detective Beckett?" The girl looks confused and concerned and Kate's suddenly extremely aware that she's only wearing one of Castle's shirts.

There's a moment of prolonged uncomfortable silence, and then Martha speaks up. "Alexis, darling, why don't we go track down some aspirin, hmm?"

Alexis nods and allows Martha to usher her out of the room. Kate waits for their footsteps to recede before speaking. "Well, that was...mortifying."

Castle laughs. "My closet's looking pretty good right now, isn't it?"

Kate wrinkles her nose. "Just a little," she admits.

He sighs. "We should probably get out there, huh?" He's heading for the door when Kate grabs his arm and pulls him to a halt. "What?" he asks, frowning.

"Usually, I wouldn't object to you walking around without clothes," she says, biting her lip, "but your mother and daughter are out there so..."

"Oh, right." He watches her get dressed with a mild pout. "We should've just hidden in the closet."


	4. Prompt 4

**Prompt 4: Castle + Beckett + blizzard**

_Set mid-season 4, sometime after Cuffed._

(Castle)

Castle wakes up in the middle of the night freezing his ass off. He tries to snuggle into the cocoon of sheets and blankets on his bed before he remembers that he's in Beckett's apartment, camped out on her couch. A snow storm and car troubles had left him stranded at Black Pawn earlier that evening, and since her apartment was only a few blocks from the publishing house, he'd called her for a ride. By the time he'd made it to her building, however, the snow storm had morphed into a raging blizzard and Kate had suggested that he just sleep over.

He gets up to check the thermostat, frowning when he sees that the room temperature had dropped below 50 degrees. He fiddles with the dials for a few minutes before realizing that the power's gone out. Defeated, he returns to the couch and settles down, trying to get warm enough to fall back asleep.

Castle dozes off, only to be wakened an hour or so later by a warm, heavy weight settling over him. He opens his eyes and finds Kate kneeling in front of the couch, about a foot away from him. "Kate?" he murmurs sleepily.

"Hey," she whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean to wake you up, it's just really cold in here and I thought you could use an extra blanket."

He notices that he's now draped in one of her huge comforters and smiles. "Thanks. That's...really sweet."

She ducks her head, but he can still see the smile on her face. "I have my moments," she teases. Her eyes flicker back up to him for a moment, and there's a sheen there that he rarely sees. It's hard to tell in the dark, but he thinks there might also be fresh tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Kate," he whispers, unable to stop himself. "Have...have you been crying?"

She sighs, tries to hide behind her hair. "I'm fine, Castle," she mutters. "It was nothing. Just a stupid dream."

He sits up a little, his heart breaking a little at the thought of her crying alone in her bedroom. "You had a nightmare?"

Kate nods, still not looking at him. "What about?" he asks. He knows he's prying, doesn't really even expect an answer, but he needs to ask. He needs to _know_ because if he knows what she's having nightmares about, maybe he can help keep them away.

"We were back in the freezer," she admits, taking him by surprise. "And it was just bad, okay." She shrugs. "Like I said, stupid."

"Stop that," he tells her. "You don't have to beat yourself up for having a bad dream. It happens, okay?"

She nods again and stands up. "Thanks," she says. "I should probably go back to bed."

An idea pops in his head. It's a dumb idea, and he knows it, but that doesn't stop him from blurting it out. "You know, you _could_ just sleep out here with me," he offers. "We can keep each other warm, and I am _excellent _at keeping nightmares away. Just ask Alexis."

Kate mulls it over for a minute, then heads back to her bedroom without a word. Castle slumps back down, pouting a little. He should have known that wasn't going to work, but there had been just enough hope for him to be disappointed.

He's about to settle back down for the night when Kate's back in front of him, her phone and pillow in hand. "Alright, scoot."

He pushes against the back of the couch, making room for her. She sets her phone on the coffee table beside his and settles into the small space he's left for her, her back to his chest.

One of his arms goes under her pillow, while the other wraps securely around her waist, anchoring her to him. She wiggles around a little before settling down with a contented hum. There's a moment of silence before she whispers, "If anyone from the precinct finds out about this, I _will _maim you, got it?"

He hums, snuggles a little closer. "I probably shouldn't have texted Esposito that we were having a sleepover then, huh?"

She elbows him gently. "Good _night_, Castle."

He breathes in the soft scent of her shampoo, revels in the feel of her body tucked so perfectly against his. It will be a good night. Of that he has no doubt.


	5. Prompt 5

**Prompt 5: (pre 5x04) When Kate is extremely hesitant to go to the Hamptons with Rick, he finds out what happened in the season 2 finale.**

(Kate)

"So, just out of curiosity, when is your next weekend off?"

They're doing the dishes when he asks, and the question's so out of the blue that it catches her off guard for a moment.

"Um..." She pauses to think. "I don't remember exactly. Two weeks, maybe three."

Castle nods, and there's a gleam in his eyes that she recognizes. It's calculating, plotting. He's planning something. Probably has been for a while now and is just adding in this new information.

"Castle..." She thinks for a moment, tries to figure out how to word this so that it won't hurt his feelings. "You know that my days off aren't set in stone. If a body drops or we're in the middle of a case, I can't just take off."

"I know," he replies. "I just thought that we could use a weekend away, that's all."

"That's sweet, Castle," she says, smiling at him. "What did you have in mind?"

He grins. "I was thinking that we could go up to my house in the Hamptons. Y'know, before it gets too cold to enjoy the beach and the pool and all that."

Kate goes still, doesn't answer right away. "Yeah," she finally says. "Maybe."

Castle frowns. "Just maybe?" he asks.

"Know what, never mind the maybe," she says, feeling awful for hesitating in the first place. He's just trying to do something nice. He shouldn't have to deal with her insecurities, not about this. "Let's do it. It sounds...nice."

He sets down the plate he's drying, fixes her with a stare. "That doesn't sound very convincing, Kate," he says. "What's going on here?"

She sighs, can't bring herself to meet his eye. This is so _stupid_. "It's nothing, okay? Just...plan a weekend, and we'll go."

"Uh-uh," he replies. "I'm not planning anything until you tell me what's going on. Because something about this is obviously bothering you."

She doesn't want to have this conversation. She's up to her elbows in soapy water, and she _doesn't _want to have this conversation. "It's not important," she tells him, trying once more to get him to drop it. "It was done and over with a long time ago."

He lets out a soft "oh" before he's tugging her away from the sink, tipping her chin up so that she's looking him in the eyes. "What is this about, Kate?"

He knows. He _knows _what this is about, but he's waiting for her to say it. He won't stop pushing until she spills, so she takes a deep breath and starts.

"Remember that summer, a couple years ago, when you invited me to your beach house for Memorial Day weekend?"

He nods. "But you were with Demming, so you said no."

"I did say no," she acknowledges. "But then I broke up with Tom, I think you know why, and I decided that I wanted to say yes." She takes another deep breath, feels the tears pricking in her eyes, the ghost of a hurt that she really did think she was over. "When I asked to talk to you alone that day, I was going to ask if the offer still stood, and if it did, I was going to accept, but then..."

"Gina," he finishes for her.

"Gina," she echoes. "It hurt, Castle. A lot. And it...it took a while for me to get over that. Almost the entire summer."

She wishes she hadn't said anything because he looks _devastated._ "I'm so sorry," he says, sounds close to tears. "Kate, if I had known..."

"But you didn't," she says. "How could you when I didn't tell you?" She brings her hand up to his cheek, rubs soothing circles with her thumb. "It's just a bad memory. I don't want you beating yourself up over it, okay?"

He nods, manages a tiny smile. "Okay."

She returns his grin and her hand moves to play with his ear. "And the next free weekend I get, I would _love _to go away with you and make some much. better. memories."

He pulls her into him and kisses her; hard, hot, dizzying. When they break apart, she's sandwiched between his body and the counter, gasping for breath, her leg hooked around his waist.

He kisses her again, over and over, each one softer than the one before until their lips are barely touching. "Screw waiting for a weekend off," he whispers. "Let's go tomorrow."


	6. Prompt 6

**Prompt 6: Castle and Beckett meet in high school (Castle's only two years older than Beckett).**

(Castle)

Castle follows Ryan to the bleachers, feeling a bit like a lost puppy. He's felt that way for the last three weeks, to be honest, but Ryan's been nice about it. Esposito on the other hand...not so much. He figures he's in the club though because they haven't called him by his first name since the fourth day of school.

Castle almost runs into Ryan when he stops to read a text. He manages to avoid bowling his friend over, but slips on a patch of wet grass and almost faceplants in the process. Thankfully , Ryan says nothing, just gives him a weird look and goes back to his phone.

"Beckett's got seats saved for us," he says, after shooting off a response. "Front and center. You can go sit down, I'm gonna grab something to eat." He starts for the concession stand, but stops when he realizes Castle hasn't moved. "Or you can come with me, if you're hungry," he offers.

Castle shakes his head and starts backing towards the bleachers. "Nah, I'm good," he says. "I'll just go...sit down." Ryan gives him another weird look before they turn and head in opposite directions.

He is good, he's _totally _good...except that he's not. Sitting by Kate Beckett is a dangerous thing when they're surrounded by all of their friends. This will be his first time alone with her outside of the classes they have together, and as much as he hates to admit it, he's nervous.

He thinks that he's usually pretty level headed, especially considering he's a teenage boy, But with Kate, it's different. She fogs things up, knocks him off balance. It wouldn't be so bad if she were more like other girls, but she's _not._ She's this mysterious, challenging enigma, and that's what draws him to her. And the fact that she's literally the most gorgeous girl he's ever met doesn't hurt.

Despite the relatively easy directions, Castle's failing spectacularly at finding their seats until he hears Kate calling his name.

"Over here," she says, beckoning him over to where she has a thick, purple blanket spread out the metal seats. "Got lost, huh?" she teases, her tongue poking between her teeth in a mischievous smile. "What? Were Ryan's directions too hard for you?"

"Ha ha," he responds, sitting beside her. "Cut me some slack," he says, pouting. "I'm still new."

Kate rolls her eyes, laughing. "You should know by now that I am _never _going to cut you any slack."

"That's mean," he says, half turning away from her, pouting dramatically. "You're a meanie."

She's laughing so hard at him now, she's almost doubled over in her seat. She gains control of her laughter just long enough to ask, "What are you, five?" before descending into giggles again.

He shrugs, grinning. "Depends on the day and who you ask," he replies. "But just now? Definitely yes."

She stops laughing, sighs. "I'm sorry I teased you for getting lost," she tells him, and despite her smirk, he believes her. "But you act like you've never seen a football stadium before."

Castle shrugs again. "Never have," he admits. "At least, not in person."

"Really?" Kate asks, eyes wide with shock. "You never went to a game at your old school?"

"Nope," he replies, shaking his head. "I didn't care. If you hadn't noticed, I usually prefer the library to the gym."

"Well, yeah, I knew that," she says, the _duh _evident in her voice. "But you never went to one game? Not even for Homecoming?"

He shakes his head again. "Didn't have a reason to," he says. "My girlfriend at the time hated sports more than I did, so we would hang out by ourselves while our friends were at the game."

"You went to the dance though, right?" When she's met with silence, she turns on him, her expression alarmed. "Please tell me you took your girlfriend to the Homecoming dance."

"Nope," he says. Her jaw drops, but he's continuing before she can interrupt. "But, in my defense, she hated school dances almost as much as she hated sports. Thought they were uncivilized, or something stupid like that."

The alarm leaves her face slowly, and she tugs her lip between her teeth, looking almost _shy. _"So, would _you _be willing to go to the Homecoming dance?" she asks, quickly adding, "If someone were to ask you, that is."

Holy-wait, _what_? Is she...asking him out? He's not quite sure how to respond because a shy Kate Beckett possibly asking him on a date isn't something he's remotely prepared to deal with. But this _is _Kate Beckett, so he decides that honesty is gonna get him farthest here. "Um, yeah," he says, smiling. "Could be fun."

"Yeah?" Her shy smile is quite possibly the cutest thing he's ever seen. It's surprising him though. He didn't know Kate _did _shy.

"Yeah." He nods, grins teasingly. "Why? Asking for a friend?"

She shakes her head, playing with the end of her ponytail. "Nope, guess again."

"Do I have to guess?" Another head shake. He grins. "Well then, Kate, would you like to go to the Homecoming dance with me?"

Her answering smile is dazzling. "I'd love to."

An impressed whistle breaks the mood. "Dang, Beckett," Ryan says. "You got him to ask you out in exactly ten minutes. That's a new record."

Kate laughs. "I could have done it in less than five, but I really like him, so..." She holds out her hand expectantly. "You owe me ten bucks."

Ryan pulls out the cash as he sits down on Castle's other side, muttering darkly. "Yeah, yeah, here ya go."

Castle frowns. "Wait, you guys were betting on how long it would take me to ask her out?"

Ryan shrugs. "It's not a big deal, Castle," he says, popping a nacho into his mouth. "We do it with all the guys that are brave enough to ask her out themselves. The more she likes you, the more time she gives you to make your case." He leans in to whisper, "She gave you about five minutes longer than she's ever given anyone." He leans back, speaks to Beckett across Castle. "Playing shy was a nice touch, by the way."

"He wasn't gonna ask me any other way," she says. "It was either that, or ask him out myself, so I chose the more fun option. Worked like a charm," she adds triumphantly.

Castle's jaw drops and he turns to Kate, whose mischievous grin is back in place. He can't help but be impressed. "Wow," he mutters, "you're good."

She takes his hand in hers and scoots closer to whisper in his ear. "You have no idea."


	7. Prompt 7

**Prompt 7: Castle/Beckett + a garden hose.**

(Kate)

She pulls into the Hamptons driveway, parks behind Alexis' Audi, and cuts the engine with a sigh of relief. She's finally here. After a hellish two weeks (and she truly means _hellish_. The city's in the midst of a heat wave. Definitely more fun to read about than to experience.) she's finally closed her latest case and is now taking some much needed vacation time.

Kate steps out into slightly less stifling heat than in the city, stretching her muscles after the long drive. A slight breeze ruffles her hair, and she can hear peals of laughter coming from the backyard. They're by the pool then, or maybe down by the beach. She doesn't blame them, in fact she'd changed into her suit before leaving so she wouldn't have to wait to join them.

She's halfway around the house when the laughter stops, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. She ventures towards the last corner slowly, cautiously. A twig snaps underfoot and she pauses, hears muted whispers from around the corner.

Kate's barely gone two feet when chaos erupts. She vaguely registers her husband and daughters' screams of "Die Rebel scum!" and "For Voltar!" before she's hit with a spray of icy water. She shrieks and jumps back, only to be hit from behind with water balloons amidst Alexis and Pi's battle cries.

"Oh sh-" She barely hears Castle's cut off curse before he's yelling, "Ceasefire! Abort mission! Abort!"

The spray of water stops, and Kate's left standing in the middle of what appears to be an epic water fight, feeling (and probably looking) like a drowned rat. She pushes her sodden hair out of her face and looks around. Alexis and Pi are standing on the edge of the grass, a basket of ammunition strapped around Pi's waist. He's trying, and failing, to hide behind his fiance, who looks like she's considering making a run for it.

"Whoops..."

She turns around at the sound of her daughter's voice. Castle's standing there with a Super Soaker, looking like he expects to be shot. Their three year old Chloe is perched on his shoulders, still brandishing the garden hose like a weapon.

"Sorry, Mommy," she says. "We thought you were Rebel spies trying to overthrow the great overlord Voltar."

Kate smirks, raising an eyebrow at Castle. He nods in confirmation. "It was an honest mistake," he protests.

"Mhmm..." She turns to Alexis and Pi. "And you two?"

"We...got caught up in the heat of battle?" Alexis tries.

Kate nods, trying to hold back laughter. "You're lucky you're all so cute," she remarks. "And that I was planning on getting in the pool first thing, anyway."

They all breathe a sigh of relief. "So, we're off the hook?" Castle asks hopefully.

Kate grins evilly, takes the hose from Chloe and starts backing towards the pool, keeping it aimed at him. "I didn't say that."


	8. Prompt 8

**Prompt 8: Season 4, Castle and Beckett locked in a hotel room together.**

_Gonna go ahead and set this between The Limey and Headhunters...before Undead Again anyway. _

(Kate)

Even before she opens her eyes, she can tell something's wrong. Her head hurts like hell, her memory's fuzzy, and she can't really move. Yeah, something's definitely wrong.

She opens her eyes, wincing against the bright afternoon light streaming in through the window. As her eyes adjust, she realizes this is _not _her apartment. It's a...hotel room? _Well, _her brain supplies, _maybe _hotel _is stretching it a bit. More like seedy motel where things (people) go to die (get murdered)._

Kate looks down, discovering why she can't move. She's tied-wrists, arms, chest, waist, legs, and ankles-to a chair. She tries to move the chair around a little, but stops when she hears a groan from right behind her. She's not alone, and she has a pretty good idea of who's tied to the chair behind her.

She cranes her head around hopefully, but there's no mirror to confirm who her companion is. Her head's clearing a little though, and the last thing she remembers is being _somewhere _with Castle.

"Castle?" she tries tentatively, receiving no response. She tilts her head back until it's just touching his, then tilts it to the side so her mouth is closer to his ear. "Castle."

He groans again, sounding more awake this time. "Kate?" he mumbles. "Wha's goin' on?"

She swallows, tries to keep the panic out of her voice. "Not sure exactly," she says. "All I know is that we're tied to a couple of chairs in a seedy motel."

That seems to wake him up even more. "Ah," he says. "Do you know if we're tied together?" he asks.

"Think so," she replies. "But I'm not sure."

She can feel him nod. "Mind if I check?"

"Go ahead."

She regrets giving him permission almost instantly. They're _definitely _tied together, connected at the waist and chest. It's just her luck that the rope is covering one of her scars; the bigger surgery scar that still pulls and burns on occasion. It's on fire right now, tugging painfully with every wiggle of Castle's body.

"Stop. Please stop," Kate whimpers, tears stinging in her eyes. "We're connected, okay? Just stop moving."

He stops moving immediately, and she takes a moment to suck in a couple deep breaths. The intense pain is gone, but there's a lingering ache that's too much like a physical representation of her feelings for him right now.

"Are you okay?" There's genuine concern in his voice, and a tear actually slips down her cheek. It's more emotion than she's gotten from him in almost a month.

"I'm fine," she lies. "These ropes are really tight, that's all."

She feels him nod again and then there's a pause. "I don't think they took my phone," he says. "If I can get my hand free, I should be able to reach it and call for help."

Kate looks down and spies a familiar pair of objects through the rope at her waist. "They didn't take my badge or gun," she informs him. "So, I think it's a safe bet they left our phones, too."

"You gonna try for yours?" he asks.

She tugs experimentally at her bonds and sighs. "They're too tight," she admits. "Looks like this one's up to you, Castle."

They slip into silence as he works at loosening his bonds. He's trying to be gentle, trying not to jostle her too much, Kate can tell. She appreciates it, but she can also tell it's not working. He's going to have to put in more effort if they want to get out.

"Castle?" she says. He stops moving immediately. "You can move more if you need to."

"No, it's fine," he says dismissively. "I don't...I don't want to do anything to hurt you."

There's something in his voice. It's like realization and recognition and guilt all rolled into one. He sounds like _he's _the one in pain, and she almost starts crying again because she doesn't know how to help him, doesn't know what to do or say to make everything better.

He's still and silent for too long, and it hurts more than the ropes around her chest. "Castle?" she asks cautiously.

"I'm sorry, Kate," Castle whispers, his voice shaky. He's crying. _No, Castle, no..._ "I'm so sorry."

Kate wishes she weren't tied to this damn chair. She wants to touch him, hold him, kiss him, do _anything _to erase that hopeless tone from his voice. "Please don't," she begs. "I'm the one that should be apologizing, not you." She truly means it. She's lied to him, pushed him away, kept him waiting for too long.

"No, Kate, let me say this, please." He sighs. "I _need _for you to hear this."

She nods. "Okay." She leans back so that their heads are touching, needing some measure of contact. He doesn't move away, and she takes it as a sign of hope.

"I've been a jackass these past few weeks," Castle starts. "I've been unnecessarily cruel, deliberately hurtful. I've been punishing you, Kate, without even giving you the benefit of knowing why."

A different time, a different setting, she would have shut him out, built her walls up higher, and been content to write him off for good. But she loves him too much now to let him go without a fight. So, instead of getting angry, instead of yelling, all she does is ask, "Why?"

"I know you remember, Kate," he says quietly. "I heard you tell that bombing suspect that you remember every second of getting shot. So you know that I love you. And you...you've been lying to me for months."

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "I never meant for you to find out like that. I wanted to tell you myself, I was _going _to tell you. Every day, I woke up promising myself that I would find a way to tell you everything, but I always managed to talk myself out of it."

"Because you were...scared?" he guesses.

She nods, sniffles. "I didn't want to lose what we had, Castle," she confesses. "I was so scared of ruining everything we had. You were too important to mess up. I didn't want to hurt you."

"You could have just been honest with me," he tells her. "I may not always act like it, but I'm a grown man. I can handle rejection."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Castle sighs. "You don't have feelings for me. At least, not the way I do for you, I get that. I just...I want you to be happy, Kate. And I'm sorry that I haven't been acting like it these past few weeks."

She's speechless for a few minutes. "You...actually think I don't have feelings for you?" she asks incredulously.

"Yes," he says, but now he sounds less certain. "You don't...do you?"

She laughs, actually laughs because _how _did they get on such different pages. "Rick," she starts, laughs a little more at how _ridiculous _this all is, "the reason I was so scared of messing up is because _I love you_. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, so I can't ruin this. I can't lose you."

It takes him a few moments to respond, and when he does, his voice is rough, like he's choking back tears. "Wow," he says. "Now I _really _feel like an ass."

_Shit, no... _That's not what she was trying to do. "Don't beat yourself up over this, Castle," she pleads. "We're both at fault here."

"Okay," he whispers, nodding. "Kate? You need to know, I truly do love you. Even when I was lashing out, I couldn't stop myself from loving you."

"I love you too," she assures him.

He growls in frustration. "I really wish I could kiss you right now."

"Yeah?" she says, grinning. "How 'bout you find us a way out of these ropes, then?"

She laughs at how ferociously he starts wiggling in his chair, desperately trying to get his hand free. She celebrates with him when he finally _does _get it free and fishes his phone out of his pocket. She wishes she could hit him when he tells Espo to hurry his ass up and get them free so they can make out already.

When they're finally free, she may or may not make the guys leave the room for exactly that reason.


	9. Prompt 9

**Prompt 9: Castle + Beckett meeting Ryan's baby (maybe the realization that they want a baby too).**

(Kate)

It catches her off guard that she cries when she meets Kevin and Jenny's daughter. Sure, she's always had a soft spot for kids, especially babies. And Espo had teased her relentlessly over how "soft" she'd gotten when they had to take care of little Toby a couple weeks back. And of course she was excited to meet her niece; they all were. She just wasn't expecting such an emotional response from holding the little girl for the first time.

The baby yawns, wiggles a little in her arms, and blinks her eyes open, fixing Kate with a sleepy gaze. It's quite possibly the cutest thing Kate's ever seen, and there's no denying it now. She's a goner; is completely in love with this little person that hasn't even been alive for a full day.

A wayward thought runs through her mind. If this is how she is now, with a baby that isn't even _hers_, how is she going to be when it's her own child that she's holding.

The thought freezes her for a moment, but she pushes it away, focuses back on the baby in her arms. "God, Kev," she murmurs, "she's so beautiful."

Ryan's full of nervous energy, practically bouncing in place. "She is, isn't she?" he agrees, grinning from ear to ear.

"What's her name?" Castle asks curiously. He's almost as excited as Ryan, having not quite reached the bouncing stage yet. But he's hovering a little, content for now to take pictures of Kate and the baby. She's pretty sure he's trying to be stealthy, but he's failing miserably.

Ryan looks back at Jenny. "Can I?" he asks. She nods tiredly, tries to hide a yawn. Kate looks over at Castle and raises an eyebrow. He nods. They'll only be staying for a few more minutes, knowing that Jenny won't rest while visitors are still there.

"We decided to name her Margaret," Ryan tells them. "Maggie for short."

"It's perfect," Castle says. "Does she have a middle name?"

Ryan and Jenny exchange a glance. "Um...her middle name is Katherine," he says. "We wanted to name her after the two strongest women we know. So, Jenny's grandmother and..." He nods at Kate sheepishly. "And you."

"That's so sweet," she whispers, dangerously close to tears. She clears her throat, feels a tear slip down her cheek. "I'm honored, really."

"There's actually more," Ryan says, glancing back at Jenny again.

"More?" she and Castle ask in unison.

"You don't have to decide now," Jenny starts, "but Kevin and I want you to be Maggie's godmother."

She's speechless for a minute. "Me?" she asks once she finds her voice. "But...but what about your sisters? Won't they be upset?"

Ryan chuckles. "We talked about that, but this is actually the one solution that's not going to have seven sisters mad at us and jealous of the eighth."

"We have such big families, it's impossible to make this decision without offending _someone_," Jenny adds. "So we decided to look outside of our immediate families."

"Javi's already agreed to be her godfather," Ryan says. "But, like Jenny said, you don't have to decide now. Take some time to think about it, okay?"

Kate nods. "Okay."

Maggie and Jenny yawn simultaneously, and she looks over at Castle. "We should probably get going," she says reluctantly. He nods distractedly, a faraway look in his eyes.

She hands Maggie back to Ryan, giving him a one-armed hug. "Congratulations," she murmurs.

She and Castle are both silent for most of the drive back to the loft, lost in their own thoughts. They're stopped at a red light when he reaches over the console and takes her hand. "What's going on up there?" he asks, quirking an eyebrow at her.

Kate sighs. "I want to be Maggie's godmother, Castle. I really do."

He waits for a moment. "But..."

"But you know firsthand how dangerous my job is," she says. "How dangerous Ryan and Esposito's jobs are. What happens to Maggie if something happens to all three of us _and _Jenny?"

He keeps her hand in his as the light changes and they surge ahead. "Ryan and Jenny both have extensive families," he argues. "It would be tragic, yes, but she'd have more than enough family left to take care of her."

She forces herself not to close her eyes while driving, resists the urge to blink the tears away. "And what if, instead of Maggie, it's _our _son or daughter, and you're left to raise them alone because something's happened to me?"

"Kate," he whispers, squeezes her hand. "Kate, pull over."

She slips into the first open spot she can find, and she's barely parked the car before he's unbuckling her seat belt and pulling her into his lap.

He holds her, lets her cry quietly against him for a few minutes. He runs his fingers through her hair soothingly. "How often do you think about this?" he asks softly.

Kate sniffs, shrugs against him. "I usually don't unless something triggers it," she tells him. "But I've had thoughts like these for years," she confesses. "Since my mom died. And for the longest time, I'd decided against ever having kids. I never wanted to abandon my family, _my child_, no matter how unintentionally."

"What about now?" he asks. "Would you consider it now?"

She sits up so that she can look him in the eyes. "I want to have children with you, Rick. I do. I'm just...scared."

One hand comes to her cheek, wipes away the tears there. "That's okay," he assures her. "Being a parent is one of the scariest things I've ever done. But it's also one of the most rewarding."

"So..." She pauses, bites her lip. "Would you want more children? I know we've never really talked about this."

He thinks for a moment. "I used to think that I didn't," he says. "Alexis was enough, and I couldn't see myself having kids with any of the women I dated or married. But..." He pauses, blushing a little.

"But?" she prompts.

"But then I met you," he says simply.

She leans up and kisses him. "I love you," she whispers.

"I love you, too," he murmurs, stealing another kiss. "I'm glad we're finally talking about this."

"Me too." She pulls away from him reluctantly, moves back into the driver's seat, and starts the car. Castle shoots her an odd look as she edges out into traffic.

"Home is back that way, y'know," he says, gesturing over his shoulder.

Kate grins. "I know," she says. "But if I'm going to accept Ryan and Jenny's offer, I'm doing it in person."

"Mhmm," he says, smirking. "You just want an excuse to keep Maggie all to yourself again."

"Sure, Castle," she says, rolling her eyes. "That's _exactly _what I'm doing."

"You know, if we're going to have kids _together_, Kate, you're going to have to learn how to share."

_*Quick note: yes, I know that Ryan and Jenny's baby is named Sarah Grace. However, I wrote this way before that episode, and I'm choosing not to change the name to preserve the integrity of the original story. _


	10. Prompt 10

**Prompt 10: Hugs/Cuddles meme: Near Miss**

(Castle)

He refuses to let go of her. It's been twenty minutes, and he's probably squeezing just a little too hard, but he can't bring himself to let her go. Holding her in his arms is his only reassurance that she's alive right now.

She understands. It's been a terrifying day, and she'd legitimately thought that she'd never see him again. So she lets him cling, snuggles closer when she feels his body start to tremble.

She feels his tears dripping into her hair, tries to hold back her own sobs. So close. She'd been so close to losing everything. She hugs him tighter, but gasps and tries to pull away when he hisses in pain.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, pressing a kiss to his chest, right above his heart. "I forgot about your ribs. I'm sorry, Rick. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he tells her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "It's okay."

"No it's not," she growls. She tilts her head back, looks him in the eye, brings a hand up to his cheek. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Me too," he admits. "Being blindfolded is highly overrated." She laughs a little, and he smiles for the first time in almost three days. "I had no idea what was going on, didn't know who was shooting who. And I heard your voice, but then I didn't." He sighs. "I was so scared, Kate."

She buries her face in his chest again, her arms tightening around him once more. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

"I think I can live with that."


	11. Prompt 11

**Prompt 11: Hugs/Cuddles meme: Post sex**

_(set season 2, post Boom!)_

(Castle)

He vows that he's never again going to make the mistake of thinking he can no longer be surprised by Kate Beckett. Because every time he does, she does _something _and the rug is pulled out from under his feet again.

Case in point: Kate Beckett is a snuggler, and a shameless one at that. Right now, she's asleep on his chest, one arm thrown across his waist, her legs tangled with his. She's pressed so close that he can feel the shiver that runs through her body.

He reaches down carefully, tries not to jostle her as he tugs the covers up and around them. Kate burrows closer, seeking out the warmth that the blankets provide. She lets out this happy little noise, and he thinks he might actually be falling in love with her.

She opens her eyes, gazes up at him sleepily. "You're staring again," she murmurs.

"I prefer the term 'gazing adoringly'," he replies, trailing his fingers over the barely-there scar by her hairline.

"Semantics," she says on a yawn, nuzzling into his touch. "Still creepy."

Scratch the "might". He's definitely falling in love with her.


	12. Prompt 12

**Prompt 12: Hugs/Cuddles meme: Hugs from behind**

(Kate)

The sand is cool on her bare feet as she makes her way to her husband, standing at the water's edge. She slips her arms around his waist, presses a kiss to the back of his neck. His hands fold over hers, their fingers intertwining.

"You should be sleeping," he says, failing to keep the brokenness out of his voice. Her heart breaks for him just a little more.

"So should you," she whispers. "How long have you been out here?"

He shrugs. "I can't sleep," he admits, like she doesn't already know. "Every time I close my eyes, Kate, I see her face, and I can't help but think that I should have _known. _I should have done something."

She hugs him tighter. "Don't do that to yourself," she begs. "There's nothing we could have done, even if we'd known."

He tears out of her embrace, storms a few feet down the beach, turns to face her. "I was too wrapped up in my own life to see that my mother was sick, that she was _dying!_" he yells, tears falling freely. "What kind of son does that make me?"

She approaches slowly, reaches out for him, her own tears falling. "Your mom was a great actress," she tells him gently. "We saw what she wanted us to see."

He looks like a lost, little boy; scared and alone. "Why didn't she say anything?"

"Maybe she didn't want our final memories of her to be tainted by her illness," she offers. "I don't know. But I do know that she wouldn't want you to be suffering like this."

"Then why did she leave?"

She wraps her arms around him again, rubs a hand up and down his back. "Sometimes the people we love leave us," she murmurs. "And there's nothing we can do about it."

"Unless, of course, we chain them to a radiator, which is, for some reason, illegal."

She lets out a surprised laugh. "It's going to be okay," she tells him. "I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but it will."

He finally returns her embrace, crushing her to his chest, his tears dripping into her hair. "Thank you," he whispers.

"For what?"

"For being you," he says. "For being here."

"Always."


	13. Prompt 13

**Prompt 13: Hugs/Cuddles meme: Sleep-cuddling**

(Gates)

She puts her head in her hands, trying to rub away the headache that's settled firmly in her temples. She reaches for her coffee mug, scowls when she realizes it's empty. She grabs it and heads for the break room, almost glad for an excuse to stop looking at their persistently unsolvable case.

The bullpen is silent except for the click of her heels and the ticking of the clock. It's past midnight, and she'd sent most of her detectives home around ten.

She should probably be surprised to find Beckett and Castle asleep on the break room couch. She's not, but she feels like she should be. The case file is spread out on a table in front of them, and there are two untouched mugs of coffee.

She should wake them up and send them home. But aside from the fact that they both look dead to the world, it's a comfort to know that they're sleeping. This case is running them all ragged, and it doesn't feel right to wake them up now that they're finally getting some sleep.

She tucks the throw from the back of the couch over them and flips the light off after she's made her coffee. Back in her office, she eyes her own couch and thinks that maybe a nap wouldn't be such a bad idea.


	14. Prompt 14

**Prompt 14: Hugs/Cuddles meme: sick!fic**

_(set mid-season 5)_

(Kate)

She's dozing on the couch when someone knocks on her door. She drags herself up and goes to answer, not bothering to check the peephole. She's not surprised to find Castle on the other side. He's wearing a paper mask, and he's got a paper bag in one hand and a to-go cup in the other.

"Castle, what're you doing here?" she asks, sniffling.

"The guys told me you were sick," he says, voice muffled by the mask. "So I brought you some soup and herbal tea to help you feel better."

"That's really sweet, thank you," she says, taking the tea and soup. "What's with the surgical mask?"

He blushes a little. "Alexis and I are volunteering at a soup kitchen for a few hours, and with the flu already going around…"

She nods. "Got it. Have fun with Alexis." She looks down, then back up shyly. "I'll see you later though?"

"Count on it," he says, pulling her into a hug. "Now, eat some soup, drink your tea, and get some rest. I'll be back before you know it."

He guides her back to the couch, tucks a blanket around her. She feels the pressure of a kiss through his paper mask on her forehead. "Take the spare key," she tells him. "In case I'm asleep when you come back."

There's another kiss, the jingle of his keyring, and the double click of her door closing and being locked. She snuggles under the blanket, a smile on her face.

She feels better already.


	15. Prompt 15

**Prompt 15: Hugs/Cuddles meme: hurt/comfort**

(Castle)

She's pacing, has been on and off for almost an hour. He can tell it's not helping. It's only making her more nervous, and the constant motion is making him a little seasick.

On her next pass, he grabs her hand, pulls her to a halt. "Kate, c'mon, sit down."

Her other arm wraps around her waist. "Rick, I can't…"

"You need to stop pacing," he tells her. "You're going to make yourself sick."

"It's a good thing we won't be leaving the hospital anytime soon then," she snarks. She glances at the clock, lets out a frustrated sigh. "God, what's taking so long? They said it was a routine surgery. No more than a couple of hours." She looks at the clock again, and when she finally turns back to him, there are tears in her eyes. "What if something went wrong?"

He pulls her into his lap, holds her while she cries, wishes there was something he could say to calm her fears. But he knows how complications can pop up unexpectedly, how even the most routine of procedures can go awry. So he says nothing. He simply holds her close, gives her his strength and his warmth, and hopes that it's enough.


	16. Prompt 16

**Prompt 16: Hugs/Cuddles meme: sleepy**

_[set during/after Boom! while Kate's staying at the loft]_

(Castle)

He and Alexis are on the couch, arguing over the remote, when Kate emerges from the guest bathroom. She looks ready to crash, having spent a majority of her day sifting through the rubble of her apartment, but she still sinks down on the couch beside him.

"What're we watching?" she asks, leaning over to snag a handful of popcorn from the bowl on his lap.

"We'll let you know when Dad _actually _makes a decision," Alexis says, nudging him in the ribs.

He doesn't need to look at Kate to know that she's laughing at him. "I just like knowing all of my options," he defends.

They finally settle on Star Wars (the original trilogy, thank you very much), and about halfway through Empire, he feels Kate snuggle into his side, her head on his shoulder.

Alexis heads upstairs to bed as the opening credits roll on Return of the Jedi. He turns to Kate, and only then notices that she's drifted off. He debates between waking her up so she can go upstairs and letting her sleep on the couch. He finally decides that waking a sleeping Beckett is the deadlier of the two, so he grabs a blanket from the back of the couch and tucks it around her.

He doesn't realize that he's fallen asleep with her until he's waking up the next morning.


	17. Prompt 17

**Prompt 17: Are you challenging me?**

(Castle)

"Serioulsy?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "Are you _seriously _challenging me to an iPhone game?"

Kate smirks. "This isn't just any game, babe," she says. "It's Flappy Bird. According to user reviews, this game is the spawn of Satan."

He scoffs. "For amateurs, maybe. But I'm a pro."

"Then you shouldn't have any trouble," she reasons. "Unless you're scared of getting beaten by a girl."

"Bring. It. On."

She grins. "First one to 20 wins. Loser does all chores for a week."

Six hours, and several _very _creative curses later, Kate lets out a whoop of victory.

(He doesn't even care that she beat him. He's just glad he never has to play this damn game ever again.)


	18. Prompt 18

**Prompt 18: Family**

(Kate)

It's been a long day. A long week actually. She's barely been home long enough each night to eat and sleep. She feels horrible. She'd promised that this would stop happening. It's easier said than done.

The loft is silent and dark when she finally steps inside, and her heart sinks. They're already gone. She checks her watch and sighs. Of course they're already gone. He'd tried to tell her last night that they would be leaving early, but it hadn't really clicked until just now.

She curls up in bed wearing one of his shirts and cuddles her daughter's pillow. She's lonely, wishes she could have gone to L.A. with Rick, Alexis, and Shelby.

Her phone chimes, and she reaches for it reluctantly. If it's another case, she might actually cry.

It's a video message from Alexis. Thirty seconds of Rick and Shelby playing on the beach as the sun sets over the Pacific. There's a text along with it. _Wish you were here._

"So do I," she murmurs, mentally calculating how many vacation days she has left. She's booking the earliest flight out of JFK within minutes, decides to call Gates in the morning.

She'd promised that this would stop happening. And it's a promise she intends to keep.


	19. Prompt 19

**Prompt 19: In the storm**

(Kate)

She hears the door close, and then he's behind her, his hands on her shoulders as he presses a kiss to the top of her head.

A flash of lightning illuminates the lake that her dad's cabin stands by. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asks over the crash of thunder.

"Breathtaking," he agrees, squeezing her shoulders. "But you should really be in bed."

"I can't sleep," she lies. Because she _can _sleep. She just doesn't want to.

"Kate…"

She stiffens, knows he can feel it by the way his hands tense. "The nightmares are getting worse," she admits. "And more frequent. Twice a night, sometimes more."

"I can help," he offers. "I'm begging you, love. Let me help."

She tilts her head back so she can look into his eyes. "I don't know how to do that without breaking you, too."

"We can figure that out together," he promises. "But if you shut me out, it'll break me for sure. It'll break us."

A surge of panic wells up inside her. "Don't let me do that," she begs, turning in her chair so that she's facing him. "I can't lose you, too," she says, hugs him desperately. "Not now. Not ever."

He holds her close. "You won't, Kate. I'm right here. I'm always right here."


	20. Prompt 20

**Prompt 20: Last Hope**

(Katie)

She's pretty sure this is what going insane feels like. It's been nine months, nine long months and the wound is still as fresh today as it was back in January.

Except now it's worse. Because she's starting to forget things. There are days when she has to watch old home movies just to remember her mom's voice. And the harder she tries to hold onto those memories, the more slip through her fingers and disappear. It's frustrating as hell.

She can't sleep, so she tiptoes downstairs to get a glass of water. Her dad's been passed out for hours now, so there's no chance of waking him, but it's a habit from her more rebellious days.

She's contemplating raiding the medicine cabinet for something that'll knock her out for a few hours, but instead of going up to the bathroom, her feet carry her to the one door they haven't opened in nine months.

Johanna's study is cold and dark, as empty as the hollow part of her chest. She's about to turn around and leave again when something catches her eye.

It's a splash of color amongst her mom's law books, dictionaries, and encyclopedias. A small section of the bookshelf, right behind her chair, that seems to be dedicated to a single author.

They're in chronological order (of course they are), and she pulls the first one off the shelf, blows away the thin layer of dust. She recognizes the name. Richard Castle. Her mom had tried to get her to read his books for years. _You'll love them, Katie. I promise._

She turns on the desk lamp, sits down in the big black chair, and opens to the first page of _In A Hail Of Bullets._ She reads until she falls asleep, and in the morning, she remembers.


	21. Prompt 21

**Prompt 21: Give up**

_(another post-47 Seconds fic)_

(Castle)

"I give up."

Kate's soft voice startles him, and he narrowly avoids drenching his hand with scalding coffee.

"Sorry," she mumbles. He glances at her, and sees a myriad of emotions playing on her face. Anxiety, fear, apology, sadness, insecurity; all the things that make him hate that he's in love with her because they make him want to pull her into his arms and hold her until she's better.

"What did you say?" he asks. "The first time, I mean." He thinks he knows, but he needs confirmation.

She ducks her head, avoids his eyes like she does when she's uncomfortable. He's pretty sure she's about to confess everything, and as much as he needs to hear the words, it's gonna hurt like a bitch.

"I give up," she repeats. "I'm giving up on-on waiting until I think I'm good enough for you because I've been thinking about it and I don't think that I'm ever going to think I deserve you because I don't, but that's not the point." She stops rambling, takes a breath. "The point is that I'm in love with you, Castle. And I know I screwed up, but all I'm asking for is a chance. To-to prove that you're all I want, and that I'll fight for us if…if you let me."

He freezes up, can't do anything but stare. She seems to take his silence as a rejection. There are tears in her eyes as she backs out of the break room, muttering, "I'm sorry, just forget it. This was stupid, I'm sorry."

The door slamming jolts him out of his stupor. He discards his coffee and rushes off to find Kate. He needs to fix this. He needs to fix this _now_.


	22. Prompt 22

**Prompt 22: Abandoned**

(Kate)

They're at a crime scene when they find her. They all hear the pathetic whimpering, but Castle's the one that discovers the source.

"Beckett, c'mere!" he calls, half hidden by the dumpster.

She finds him kneeling by the wall, cradling a tiny puppy. It's an adorable little mutt with a speckled coat and big brown eyes. There's a tattered collar around her neck, but no tags.

"Can we keep her?" he asks eagerly, bouncing excitedly. "She could be the team mascot!"

"I thought that was you," Lanie remarks, peering over Kate's shoulder.

Kate reaches out and fingers the collar, strokes the pup's silky fur. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Castle, but it looks like she belongs to someone already."

"Probably got lost," he comments, pouting a little. "She looks well fed still. Can't have been on her own for more than a couple of days."

"There's an animal shelter between here and the precinct," Espo says. "You can drop her off when we're done here."

Later, when they pull up to the animal shelter, Castle turns to Kate. "Look, if Nikki's family-"

"Wait," she cuts him off. "Did you really name a puppy that's not even ours?"

"Not the point," he says before continuing. "If she's still at the shelter in a few weeks, can we at least talk about adopting her?"

She nods. "Only on the condition that we don't name her Nikki."

(When they bring her home almost a month later, Kate's the one that calls her Nikki first.)


	23. Prompt 23

**Prompt 23: Out Cold**

(Castle)

He leans against the loft door, runs a hand through his hair, breathes in the scent of _home_. He's been gone for too long, has had to survive on texts and Skype and phone calls for a month. The persistent ache in his chest is almost gone, now that he's home, but it won't go away for good until he's able to _see _his family and hold them in his arms again.

He pushes off of the door, starts for the master bedroom to see Kate first (it's always Kate first). He's halfway down the hall when a noise draws his attention back to the living room.

The furniture's been rearranged to make room for a nest that takes up most of the room. Kate is fast asleep in the center, using Charlotte's stuffed turtle as a pillow. Their daughter is plastered to Kate's side, her thumb in her mouth, and an arm slung over Kate's barely-there baby bump. Nolan is completely turned around, his slippered feet in Kate's armpit, little mouth wide open as he snores.

Castle laughs softly, snaps a picture with his phone before discarding his shoes and crawling into the mass of pillows and blankets to join them. He shifts Nolan around carefully so that he's snuggled against Kate's chest, and then he settles down next to them.

He cuddles as close to Kate as he can, taking care not to crush their son. One hand goes to her hair, gets buried in the silky tresses that fan out over the turtle. The other covers Charlotte's, and he relaxes further into the nest, finally connected with his family again.

They'll wake up early tomorrow (Nolan's developed the exhausting habit of not sleeping in past seven), and he'll make pancakes, waffles, whatever they want for breakfast. They'll go to the park, have lunch with Alexis, do all the things he's wanted to do while he was away. Spending the entire day with them will ease away his guilt at being gone for so long.

But for now, this? This is enough.


	24. Prompt 24

**Prompt 24: Beckett & Lanie, Multitasking**

(Lanie)

"Girl, I think this is the best idea Writer-Boy's had in a long time."

Kate hums contentedly. "I know. I think this is the most relaxed I've been since the honeymoon."

They're on the beach in the Hamptons, basking in the warm September sun. Sounds and smells of barbecue drift down from the back patio, where the guys are preparing lunch. Jenny and Alexis are down by the water with Sarah Grace.

It's a rare relaxing weekend for all of them, one where Lanie's definition of multitasking switches from juggling cases to reading and drinking on the beach. It's the kind of weekend they haven't all had since the 4th of July last year. It's the most relaxed Lanie's been in over a year, and it's glorious.

She glances over at Kate, who's paused in the middle of reapplying sunscreen to watch Sarah Grace splash happily in the shallows. There's a wistful smile on her face, and Lanie grins.

"Thinking about the future?" she teases.

Kate laughs, blushing a little at being caught. "Something like that," she replies. She's rubbing sunscreen into her foot when she says casually, "I'm pregnant."

Lanie squeals and launches herself at her friend, hugging her tight. "When were you planning on telling me?" she demands.

"We just found out for sure this week," Kate explains, laughing. "We were going to announce it at dinner tonight."

"How far along are you?"

"A couple of months at most," Kate says, shrugging. "We'll know for sure after our next appointment." There's a pause. "We've already decided that we want you to be the godmother. That is, if you want to be?"

Lanie's close to tears as she pulls Kate in for another hug. "Do you even have to ask?"


	25. Prompt 25

**Prompt 25: Test**

(Castle)

He's just starting dinner when the door opens and closes. He hears his wife's heels, his daughter's sneakers, and he smiles because they're finally done with Charlie's driver's test.

He still has his back to them, so he doesn't see Kate's frantic head shaking as he asks how the test went. He spins around, dropping the spatula in shock when Charlotte bursts into tears and runs up to her room.

Castle turns to Kate, and they wince together when a slamming door echoes through the loft.

"She _failed_?" he asks disbelievingly.

Kate nods. "By one point."

He winces again. "She got one of _those _guys, huh?"

"Oooh yeah," she says, rolling her eyes. "I think if it were up to him, _nobody _would be driving. We'll find someone else for her to retake the test with."

He nods in agreement as their youngest, Larissa, bounds into the kitchen and hops up on a barstool. "I take it from the melodramatics that Charlie's driving test is gonna be a taboo topic for a while?"

"Probably a good idea, Ris," Castle says as Nolan joins them, jumping up to sit on the countertop.

"I think someone broke Charlie," he says, swiping a handful of peppers from the stir-fry ingredients.

"Nolan Alexander," Kate says, arching an eyebrow at their son, who promptly slides to the floor, "your sister is not _broken_, she just had a bad day. Be nice."

He grins and kisses her on the cheek. "When am I not nice?" he asks, sounding far too much like his Uncle Javi as he retreats to the living room.

Kate and Larissa roll their eyes simultaneously, and Castle grins, turning back to the stove. He throws the stir-fry together, adding a little more ginger, the way Charlie likes it. He'll baby her for a few days, they all will, until she gets sick of it. (She's her mother's daughter, through and through.) It's a little thing, in the long run, and she'll be okay.

They always are.


	26. Prompt 26

**Prompt 26: Bubbles [companion piece to Prompt 23]**

(Castle)

It's taking Kate far longer than normal to answer the phone, and he's getting a little anxious. Between book signings and meetings and Paula, he's only got so much time during the day to call. Paired with his family's schedule, he usually only gets one chance during the day. If he doesn't get a hold of Kate now, he won't be able to call again until the kids are already in bed.

Just as he's about to give up, Kate picks up. "Hey, babe," she answers breathlessly, and he hears the echoes of some commotion or other in the background. "Can you possibly call back later? Now's _really _not a good time."

His ears pick up the piercing wail of one, or maybe both, of their children. "Yeah, of course," he agrees, wracking his brain for a time to call back. "I'll call back…after dinner?"

She lets out a breath, and he can almost see the relief written on her face. "Sounds good." There's more wailing and a shrill scream, and he winces. "Oh god, I gotta go. Love you."

Then she's gone, leaving him confused and worried. What the _hell _was going on?

* * *

Kate answers almost immediately when he calls later, sounding exhausted, but much calmer than before.

"So, what exactly was going on when I called earlier?" he asks, deciding not to beat around the bush. He's been mildly freaking out all day, and he just really needs to know what happened.

Kate sighs dramatically, and he can hear her settling down to launch into the story. "Okay, so the morning was pretty uneventful, everyone was fine until we got to naptime," she starts.

"Ahh," he says, nodding. Their five year old, Charlie, has been rebelling against naps lately, claiming that she's a big girl now and doesn't need them.

His wife laughs a little. "Oh no," she says. "It doesn't end there. I got the kids down without too much of a fuss, so I decided to take a nap myself."

"I take it _this _is where things get interesting?"

"You have no idea," Kate replies. "I was asleep for maybe half an hour before I was woken up by blood curdling screams coming from the upstairs bathroom. When I got up there, the bathroom was soaked, and both Charlie and Nolan had bleeding scratches all over their arms and faces."

"Oh no," he moans, fairly certain he knows what happened now. "Please tell me they didn't."

"Oh, they did," she affirms. "From what I got out of them, they woke up from their naps early and discovered that Bubbles had gotten into _something_, I don't even know what, so they decided to…give her a bath."

"Jesus," he mutters, sucking in a breath through his teeth. He knows firsthand how much of a demon his daughter's cat is when she gets wet. Alexis is the only one that has successfully bathed Bubbles without ending up scratched and bloody, and that wasn't for a lack of trying on Bubbles' part._  
_

"Yeah," she sighs. "Your mom and I were applying disinfectant and gauze when you called before. Nolan's swearing that he is never going to touch a cat again, and I think Charlie just feels betrayed."

He chuckles softly. "They're okay though?" he asks.

"A little traumatized, but they're fine," she reassures him. "Just some minor scratches, thank God. One of them was pretty close to Nolan's eye."

They're both silent for a moment. "I wish I was there," he says, the longing to see his family almost painful.

"Me too," she says softly. "But you'll be home soon. Five days, right?"

"Five days," he confirms. "I love you. All of you."

"We love you, too."

(He's planning a way to make it home sooner before they even hang up.)


	27. Prompts 27-32

**Prompts 27-32**

_Aroused_

"Oh, shit, that's Gina. I've got to take this." And just like that, he's gone. She stifles a needy whimper as she watches him walk away, tries to focus on her paperwork and how much she's going to kill him later.

"You okay, Beckett?" Ryan's giving her a funny look, so she does her best to hide the arousal that's singing through her veins, hopes he can't tell she was about two seconds away from letting Castle get her off under her desk.

"Yeah, fine. What've we got?" she answers, maybe a little too quickly because Ryan's giving her that look again.

She's _so _going to kill him later.

_Breathless_

He can't get a single breath into his lungs. That's okay though, because there's no room for it anyway. Not when all of his senses are being flooded with Kate; her scent, her taste, the feel of her skin enhanced by the rain. He's drowning in Kate, and it's the most exquisite death he could ever imagine.

_Lustful_

She can feel his eyes on her the moment she walks through the door, and it makes her feel powerful. It brings a wicked grin to her face because she knows he's plotting a way to get her alone and out of this dress as quickly as possible.

She glances up, finds him, locks eyes with him for a second. They're black with lust, and she shivers in anticipation.

They need to play this game more often, she thinks. It's the best kind of game; one where everyone wins.

_Passionate_

It's almost scary how much like Kate all of their children are. Charlotte's got her looks, her perfectionism, her stubborn temper. Nolan has her quiet strength, her quirky sense of humor, her love for sci-fi (though he's pretty sure he got that from both of them). Larissa has her dry wit, her romantic's heart, and her sharp intelligence.

But the one thing they all share is her passion, her drive, the thing that first drew him to her. The thing that makes her, and consequently them, extraordinary.

_Sensual_

Sensual is not a word that Kate would generally assign to her partner. He's goofy, hair-brained, clumsy, a nine-year-old on a sugar rush. He's charming, yes, and ruggedly handsome, but _sensual_? Never

But, _oh_, the way he's moving against her right now. The way his hands caress, the way his lips travel across her skin… He's making her forget that this isn't real, that they're undercover, and that they've got a murderer to catch.

And she can't even bring herself to care.

_Yearning_

If he'd thought that being in a relationship with Kate would assuage the fierce yearning in his chest, he'd thought wrong. In fact, the yearning has intensified, if that's even possible.

She's asleep beside him, her hair fanned out across the pillows, silver beams of moonlight making her skin glow alabaster. And, as much as he's already learned about her, the need to know more, to know _everything_, is becoming desperate.

But as much as he wants to, he won't wake her. She needs her sleep, and he's content to just lie here and watch her. Everything else can wait. They have all the time in the world.


End file.
